Monday, 21 January 2013

Love in a Headscarf. Shelina Janmohamed (Beacon Press, 2010)
Petikan daripada entri asal: "If I have daughters who can read and old enough to begin thinking about relationships, I'd tell them to read this book."

Zeitoun. Dave Eggers (Vintage, 2010)
Petikan daripada entri asal: "One of the concerns of the US government during Hurrincane Katrina was stopping so-called terrorists hiding within in the US from taking advantage of the chaotic situation. The US Army along with FEMA, paramilitary forces including security firm Blackwater, and other government agencies were sent into crisis areas to look for suspicious persons and activities. They ran into Abdulrahman and his friends at one of Abdulrahman's rental houses and immediately thought they in possession of some stolen goods. This was when Abdulrahman's real nightmare began."

The Master of Go. Kawabata Yasunari, translated by Edward G. Seidensticker (Vintage, 1996)
Petikan daripada entri asal: "Reading this book with just a rudimentary understanding of Go was certainly a handicap. What made me stay to the end was Kawabata's detailed account of what happened throughout the match, the people involved, and how they revealed clues about the two masters of the game. Go was merely the stage on which a human drama unfolded."

Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind: How to Be Seen and Heard in the Overcrowded Marketplace. Al Ries & Jack Trout (McGraw-Hill, 2000)
Petikan daripada entri asal: "Positioning is not about being the first, it is more about not be overlooked by customers who are overwhelmed by the choices available in the market. Good positioning means getting through to the customers’ mind."

Growing Up in Tregganu. Awang Goneng (Monsoon Books, 2007)
Petikan daripada entri asal: "Growing Up in Trengganu is the kind of book I could never write, primarily because I never grew up long enough in a place to become acquainted with it, to have the kind of connection that Awang Goneng has with Trengganu, place he says no longer exist. I can't argue with him there."

Monday, 31 December 2012

Standardise examinations is a big part of the Malaysian education system. After 11 years studying in the mainstream public school, it's hard for me to imagine a different kind of education system, one that doesn't make you sit for examinations every now and again.

Standardised examinations or testing is aimed at measuring the performance of every student using a set of standardised criteria. Students are given the same test papers with the same set of questions and same level of difficulty. Preferably the test should be given at the same time and place. Standardised testing is often perceived as a fair way of measuring students' performance.

This perception has gone largely unchallenged by society and even experts. We sat through The SPM (Form 5), PMR (Form 3), and UPSR (Year 6) examinations and have come to accept them as part of life.

Educationalist Alfie Kohn argues in his book, The Case Against Standardized Testing, that standardised assessment is not the best way of measuring students' performance. As he lengthily explains, standardised examination does little to prepare students for life real. For example, we're not allowed to ask other people for answers during examinations. In real life, especially in the workplace, we need to, in fact have to, consult our superiors, peers, subordinates, and experts whenever we're finding answers to our problems. With too much emphasis on examinations, we may overlook the importance of teaching students problem solving skills.

Standardised examination also suffers from a 'paradox of fairness.' We'd like to believe that every student have an equal chance of doing well in the examination. This is couldn't further from the truth. Kohn cites a number of studies done on the effect of the students' socio-economic status on their achievement. Students from minority group, rural, and lower class income families often do not have the same access to opportunities and assistance as the rest of the school. They often end up doing poorly in standardised examinations. The same thing is happening here in Malaysia.

There is a list of other concerns that Kohn addresses here, some of them are issues related to the US education system. It's a book that will make parents and educators re-think relevance of examinations and value of their examinations result.

With some experience in the teaching profession, I know how students can learn to beat the tests. Once they become familiar with the tests' pattern, the validity of the tests become suspect. Basically, the tests have become a complete waste of time because they are no longer measure students' understanding. Just like how a expert liar can bluff his way through a lie detector test.

The good news is there are other forms of assessment that can help our students develop a balanced and holistic skill set. Portfolios and projects show a clearer picture of what the students have learned and their progress, compared to looking at test scores alone. In fact, teachers and parents can actively participate in the students' learning process. They can ask the students critical questions about their work and listen to their responses and level of enthusiasm.

According to the recently announced Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025, development of the students' creativity and leadership skills has been made part of its Shift 1. This will done by revamping examinations and putting more focus thinking skills. Although this is certainly a commendable move, does this means standardised examinations is here to stay?

Sunday, 2 December 2012

Initially I wanted to start a series of entries based on this book. But lately work has gotten the most of me, and I'm unable to concentrate on what the book offers. I am... sad... to have to put this book aside and pick up other books. Because not reading can lead to sadness.

Thursday, 18 October 2012

You're reading La Tahzan, brother? My Ghanaian colleague inquired. I was on my out of our office, clutching the book in my right hand and the rest of my belonging in the other.
Yes, I answered, slightly surprised. I didn't realised that people were paying attention to what I was reading.

Aaidh Al-Qarni. It's a good book, masya-Allah.

Yes, I've only just started.

A good book it is. Don't Be Sad, or it's Bahasa Melayu translation, Jangan Bersedih, is quite the best-seller, from what I gather. It's a self-help book for Muslims that tackle issues both in life right now and life later in akhirah.

This is actually my second attempt to read this book. The first time I read it a years ago, I felt disconnected from Syeikh Al-Qarni's words. At the time, I suppose, I was in a very bad situation. My inner self was in turmoil. I would like to think that my inner self is in a better place right now. I hope. Because now I'm past page 80.

Tuesday, 25 September 2012

No, don’t tell me the answer. Instead, I want you think about how quickly you came up with the answer? Did it took you more than a minute? Was it based on any statistics?

I’m guessing no and no, right? Because that, my friend, is the power of positioning. Positioning is powerful concept that make or break a company or a product, as this book claims.

I remember attending a writing workshop a few years back. The speaker was constantly asking attendees, who were hoping to get published, to think carefully about positioning. The book market(s) can get crowded very quickly. Publishers aren’t keen to sign up an author unless he or she has something unique to offer.

This is the reason why Pak Latip (Abdul Latip Talib) pretty much rules the local historical novel market. He certainly wasn’t the first local author to write in this genre. But he was the first to successfully market historical novels, a genre that may have been deemed by some published as unprofitable.

He also continues to write historical novels, instead of trying his hand at any other genres. By doing so, Pak Latip is cementing his place in the market, and more importantly in the minds of the readers.

Being the first means he’s going to the one who set the bar. If a new historical novelist gets published, it’s likely that people will ask, is he as good as Pak Latip? If that is the case, then the new historical novelist has no choice but to be better. Or different.

Positioning is not about being the first, it is more about not be overlooked by customers who are overwhelmed by the choices available in the market. Good positioning means getting through to the customers’ mind.

Companies with already good positioning can make mistakes that leads to an unfavourable perceptions about themselves. The authors of this book warns leading companies from going about and telling people they’re the No.1. This type of statement makes the company sound insecure.

If people already know that you’re already No.1, there’s no need repeating it constantly. After a while, customers —people like you and me— will start going, “Yeah, so?” Customers are not dumb.

Also, being No.1 means nothing to the customers if they are treated like #!$@.

Saturday, 1 September 2012

First played in China over 2,000 years ago, Go long has been part of the Japanese culture. Played on a board with 19 x 19 squares, Go pieces are played black versus white, similar to chess. But unlike chess or checkers, the pieces are placed on intersections of the square in a grid-like manner instead of inside a square. Once a piece is placed, it cannot be moved. A piece that is completely surrounded is captured. The rules of Go is relatively simple but allow for a wide array of strategies. Winning involves surrounding the opponent's pieces as much as possible. The winner of a match is determined using a points system.

I know almost nothing about Go. Most of what I wrote in the last paragraph was picked up as I read this book. The Master of Go is based on an actual match —an important one— between two masters. Honinbo Shūsai, a retired Go 9-rank master, agreed to play a out-of-retirement game against Kitani Minoru of 7-rank. Ranks in Go is akin to ranks in martial arts, reflecting its holder's level of skill, accomplishment, and experience. This was Honinbo Shūsai's final official match as he passed away several months later.

Kawabata Yasunari was a reporter from Mainichi Shimbun assigned to cover the match. The match entirely spanned several months, with breaks lasting from days to weeks. The venues were changed, and moves were made after many hours of deliberations. The match became one of the most discussed Go matches in history.

Fortunately this book is not a blow-by-blow account of what happened. Kawabata wrote, or rather rewrote, the match as a "chronicle novel" or a nonfiction novel. He gave himself and Kitani pseudonyms, but clearly there was no question about the persons involved. Kitani, named Otaké in the novel, was younger than Honinbo but a formidable player no less. In 1928, Kitani beat eight opponents consecutively in a series of matches. Honinbo, whose health was deteriorating at the time, had a reputation for being pragmatic. There were instances during the match when he used the provisions of the match to his advantage. Postponements occurred, dragging the game to a point where forfeiting came into consideration. But with their reputation at stake, both masters proceeded with the intention of winning.

Reading this book with just a rudimentary understanding of Go was certainly a handicap. What made me stay to the end was Kawabata's detailed account of what happened throughout the match, the people involved, and how they revealed clues about the two masters of the game. Go was merely the stage on which a human drama unfolded.

About

I am a Muslim, a learner, a teacher, and a reader. Lucky to be a husband to a very patient wife. I like coffee that's not too bitter. This blog is about lots of stuff, but lately it's more about books (the easiest thing for me to write about these days). But they're not book reviews, they're book introductions. And this blog in English and Bahasa Melayu. This is also where I learn how to use them.